Indian dance benefit

While earning her degree at Rutgers University in New Brunswick, Preethi Ramaprasad continues to train intensively in the Indian classical dance form Bharata Natyam. On Saturday, the 20-year-old virtuoso from Basking Ridge, a past National Foundation for Advancement in the Arts scholarship winner, will give a solo concert accompanied by live music. Titled "Abhyasa," the Sanskrit word for "sustained learning," the event will raise money to benefit the V-Excel Educational Trust, which assists mentally handicapped children in India.

Ramaprasad will perform choreography by her teacher, Sudharani Raghupathy, and the musicians will include Lavanya Rajagopalan; Sharanya Sivakumar; Suhas Rao; Rasika Shekar, and Akshay Anantapadmanabhan. This singular dance event will take place at 7 p.m. at the George Street Playhouse, 9 Livingston Ave. For more information, send an e-mail message to abhyasadance@gmail.com.